Hidden From The World
by NickiikciN
Summary: Rory Gilmore lives a life different than the one she portrays to the people she knows. She has a sister to take care of, a mother who is constantly drunk, and a life to hide. She is not the perfect person she wishes to be.
1. The way it is

**Ok so this is my first fanfiction ever, and I have no idea if it sucks, or if I should continue. Please read it and let me know what you think, ok? Thanks, and enjoy!**

**Also, if you want some more information about my story, or some do's and don'ts, go check out my authors page. Maybe some things will make a bit more sense, and keep you from making the same mistake as another reader. :)**

* * *

The hour was late as Lorelai Gilmore stumbled into her house, tipsy and giggling like a school-girl at recess. She gave no thought to her sleeping daughters, and loudly made her way into the kitchen. As she was turning on the faucet to get a glass of water, she heard a door open, and turned to find 16 year old Rory staring at her with tired eyes. 

"Mom, it's late. What took you so long?" asked Rory, her voice laced with worry, and a little bit of anger.

Lorelai only giggled, a brief trace of guilt showing in her face before being replaced by glee. "I went to a party, Rory! There was a guy there… He seems different, Ror! He really does…"

Rory cut off her mother with an annoyed sigh, and searched for a way to put her thoughts delicately. Lorelai tended to get defensive, especially when she was drunk. "Mom… You can't keep doing this to us… Kai misses you. She never sees you anymore!"

"That's not true! I saw her just yesterday, when I picked her up from daycare!"

"You mean when you had some strange man drop you off at the entrance to her daycare, and had to beg for money so that you two could try and catch a bus home? I had to leave school early to come and get you, because you couldn't remember where the bus stop was!" Throwing up her hands in the air at her mothers lack of respone or care, she exclaimed, "She slipped up and called me Mommy today! I take care of her more and more these days, and as much I love her, she is your child, not mine!" Frustrated, Rory ran her hands through her hair, trying to calm down. She could see that Lorelai was getting angry, and suddenly regretted leaving her room. Sighing heavily, Rory looked at her mother, hoping that she was too drunk to really comprehend the accusations made against her.

Lorelai stood on the other side of the kitchen, fuming at the words spoken to her by her 16 year old daughter. _I am NOT a bad mother! Here I am, trying to find a father for these girls, and all they can do is complain!_ "You had better watch your mouth young lady! I'll have you know that every single one of these men I bring home, are for you and Kai! I am trying to find you a father! Why do I get no respect in my own home? I ought to send you away, you ungrateful little brat!"

Up until now, the mother and daughter had kept their voices low, but as Lorelai started her rant, she gradually increased her volume to a yell. Rory, wincing at the noise, angrily pushed her mother into the living room, while scolding her for raising her voice. "Do you want to wake up Kai?! She already has nightmares, and I do not want you contributing to her mental problems any more than you already have!"

Lorelai shoved Rory into the wall "Do not tell me what to do! If I want to wake up MY daughter, I will! I'm going to bed; do not be here when I get up!" And with that, she stormed up the stairs, falling over twice in the process, and slammed her door shut.

Rory stared up at her mothers door with tears in her eyes, wondering how long she could protect Kai, and what she would do when she no longer could. Hearing her little sister start crying, Rory rushed into the room that the two of them shared, and tried to calm down the two year old before their mother heard.

* * *

The next morning, Rory rushed to get Kai ready for daycare, while at the same time grabbing her books and making breakfast. She left a pot of coffee on the stove for their mother, knowing that Lorelai would need it when she woke. She had meant what she said about the girls not being there when she woke up, so Rory moved as fast as she could, struggling with her grumpy sister. Kai had not liked being woken up last night, and was now being uncooperative. Rory was growing increasingly exasperated with the girl, and took her by the hand, practically dragging her out the door. 

"Kai! I need you to behave okay? Mommy needs us to be quiet so that she can get all better."

Kai looked up at her big sister with wide eyes, tilting her head slightly "Mommy sick? Make mommy all better!"

Rory's heart broke a little bit more, as she looked into the eyes of the innocent child. "Yes sweetie, mommy is sick. But she'll be better later, she just needs to sleep. Now lets get you to daycare, okay?" The little girl seemed satisfied with this answer, and remained quiet until she was dropped off with her playmates.

* * *

Rory rushed into Chilton, the school her grandparents insisted on sending her to, and realized that she would be late for her first class. Running through the halls, she was stopped by Headmaster Charleston. 

"Miss Gilmore! I see that you are running late once again. Troubles at home?"

Rory quickly thought of a suitable answer, so as not to let the Headmaster in on the fact that her home life was not as perfect as she portrayed it. "My mother is sick, so I had to take my sister to daycare again. I am terribly sorry sir, I will try not to let it happen again!"

Headmaster Charleston just nodded to her, and she continued on to her first class of the day. She had a feeling that the headache she felt coming on was going to make her day more stressful than it already was, and hoped that she had remembered to bring her aspirin.


	2. Lorelai Victoria: Immature as ever

**Ok, so I changed it from Second Semester, to Second Quarter. It works better with the story, for me at least, and since it is a private school, it is quite possible that they would use quarters instead of semesters. I hope thats not confusing to anyone! And, if you need me to explain the difference between a semester and a quarter, PM me, and I'll explain as best I can. :)**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the incident with her mother. Things had gone back to what was considered normal. Lorelai continued to party and come home drunk on a regular basis, while Rory took Kai to daycare, and took care of her as best she could. School was more challenging than ever for Rory, but she loved every minute of it. There were a few new kids, since it was the beginning of the second quarter, and Rory Gilmore was about to meet someone that would have a major impact on her life. 

It was a Friday morning, and as she walked out of her second class of the day, Rory felt someone slam into her, knocking her to the ground and sending her books flying. As she stood and began gathering her books, she fought to control her tongue. Yelling at a classmate in the halls was frowned upon at school. _Well, yelling at all was frowned upon, but thats beside the point_, she thought.

Finally looking up, Rory saw a boy she had never seen before, and wondered impatiently if he was going to apologize, or just stand there looking like an idiot.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention…" said Rory hesitantly, just to break the awkward silence that had developed between the two teens.

Finally coming back to his senses, the boy shook his head and helped her gather the books that remained on the ground.

"No, it was my fault. I was in such a hurry to get back to my locker that I wasn't looking where I was going. Surely a lady as beautiful as yourself would have caught my attention, had I been watching what I was doing! Can you ever forgive me, dear lady?" And at that, he bowed slightly to her, extending his hand in an gestre of humility and apology.

Rory blushed slightly at the cheesy compliment, and rolled her eyes. She stuck her hand out for him to shake, while introducing herself. "I'm Rory. Rory Gilmore. And I accept your rather… strange… attempt at an apology. But you now owe me, if I am to forgive you." Winking at the very embarrassed boy, she turned and walked to her next class.

"Wait!" Rory turned, hearing the boy call after her. "What are you doing after school?"

"I have to meet someone." said Rory, her voice void of any emotion, not really wanting to get into the reason why she had to pick up her baby sister.

The boys face fell. "Oh, well then… Maybe I'll see you around?"

Rory just smirked, and continued walking down the hall. "Maybe!"

* * *

As she entered the daycare building, her mind wandered back to the boy she had met this morning, wondering who he was. She hadn't thought to get his name, partially because she didn't care, and partially because she didn't want to care. She was curious about him, but decided that she would not purposely befriend the new Chiltonite, so as not to get attached. Getting attached got you into trouble, Rory had learned this the hard way. 

Rory looked up, realizing that she was at the front desk, and rang the bell on the counter to get the attention of the receptionist.

"I'm here for Kai Gilmore, please." Rory said, with an air of authority.

The receptionist looked her up and down, clearly shocked at how young Rory looked. Shaking her head, she asked "And you are…?"

Rory just rolled her eyes at the obviously new receptionist, Nancy her name-tag read, and pulled out her ASB card. "I'm Lorelai Gilmore. Check your list." Sometimes having the same name as her mother came in handy.

Nancy pulled out a sheet of papers, and after seeing Lorelai's name on the list as Kai's mother, told Rory to wait while she went and got Kai. Rory was used to people thinking that Kai was hers, so she didn't make a big deal of it. It was easier, in her opinion, to let people thhink what they wanted, rather than explain that they were only sisters, not mother and daughter.

Kai was excited to see her big sister, and ran out to her eagerly. She started telling Rory all about her day, and as the two left the building, Rory looked over her shoulder, to see Nancy staring at the two girls with interest.

* * *

"Rory! Rory where are you! Get out here now!" Rory glanced up from the book she was studying, to see what time it was. _6:00, I wonder why she's home? _Rory thought, sighing and setting her book face down on the bed. She stretched, her muscles stiff from sitting in one position for so long, and then left the room to see what her mother wanted. Rory had left Kai asleep on the couch, and desperately hoped that her mother hadn't woken up the child with her shouting. 

"Mom! I'm right here, what's wrong? Why are you home so early?" Rory entered the living room, just in time to see her mother sit down on the couch, next to her sleeping daughter.

Lorelai looked up at her eldest child, with a panicked look on her usually care-free face. "Your grandparents want us to come for dinner."

"When?" was all the reply she got.

"Friday."

"Why?" Rory was confused, quickly trying to remember if there was a holiday coming up sometime in the near future.

Lorelai just shrugged, not having an answer.

"Well, are we going?" Rory asked, frustrated with Lorelai's lack of knowledge.

"Yes. We have no choice, they are putting you through school, and your sister in daycare." The elder Lorelai just sat there, staring at Kai. She wished things were different, but she had no control over any of their lives. Lorelai needed to get away for a few days, and try and figure out what her parents wanted, vaguely remembering hearing about a party that was taking place just a few hours away. Deciding that she would take a few days for herself, she informed Rory of her "vacation".

"Ror, you're going to have to take care of your sister for the weekend."

"Mom, why? I have to study! I have a test on Monday!" Rory shouted in protest, completely forgetting that her sister was asleep no more than 3 feet from her. It was a miracle that the girl had not woken yet.

Getting tired of Rory always questioning her, Lorelai refused to give an explanation, and instead got up to leave the room.

"Do as you are told, Rory! I'll be back in a few days!" Stomping up to her room, and slamming the door, Lorelai started packing a bag.

Rory just slumped down onto the couch, and stroked her sisters hair. This was so typical Lorelai, getting freaked out about something, and leaving for a few days so she could "clear her head". This left Rory to make sure Kai was taken care of, clean up whatever mess her mother left for her, make up excuses for her mother when she didn't show up to meetings, and take on the role that was supposed to belong to Lorelai. _Oh well, _she thought, sighing_ This is my life… I will not let Kai experience what I've been through. That's all I can do. Break the cycle._


	3. Coffee Dates and Longing Looks

It was finally the night of the dreaded dinner at the Gilmore's. Lorelai still hadn't come back from her "weekend vacation", which had evidently turned into a week long trip. Not knowing if she should still go to the dinner, or skip it all together, Rory put off thinking about it all day. It was 5:30, and after deciding to still go to dinner, and hope her mom would show up before it was time to leave, Rory struggled to get Kai into the bath tub.

"Kai! We have to go see Grandma and Grandpa tonight! Please just take your bath?"

Kai just looked up at her big sister and put on her best pouty face. "Don't wanna go!"

Rory just ignored her sister, and reached over to turn off the water. Testing it to make sure it wasn't too hot, she attempted to undress Kai with one hand. When she finally succeeded, she picked the girl up and set her in the tub. An hour later, both girls were ready to go, and still seeing no sign of their mother, Rory put Kai in her car seat, and headed towards their grandparents house.

They reached their destination at 7:00, and stood on the porch just staring at the large house. Five minutes later, the doorbell was rang, and a maid opened the door, taking their coats and escorting them into the living room.

"Rory? My goodness how you've grown!" Emily stood up to hug her eldest granddaughter, handing her drink off to Richard who had also stood at the sight of the girls. Kai had shrunk back behind Rory, hiding between her legs.

"Um… Thanks Grandma. How are you?" Rory asked, while smiling politely and hugging her grandmother back.

"I'm fantastic now that you're here!" Emily looked behind Rory and asked, "Rory, dear, where is your mother?"

Rory had been expecting this question, and calmly told her grandparents that Lorelai had not been feeling well, but sent her hellos.

Richard had been quiet up until now, uncomfortable with entering the conversation, but then spotted Kai behind Rory. "And who might that little girl be? Could she be the adorable Kaidynn that we've heard so much about?"

Kai giggled and shyly nodded her head.

"Oh, Grandma, Grandpa, this is Kaidynn. We call her Kai." Rory picked up the nervous girl and placed her on her hip.

Emily frowned at the girl for a moment, before putting her society smile into place. "Yes, yes. Hello!"

Richard, noticing his wife's not so subtle reaction to the girls' presence, suggested that they all move to the dining room for dinner.

Dinner was awkward, but pleasant enough, and by the time they left, Kai was fast asleep on Rory's shoulder. Rory had excused herself as soon as possible, saying that she had a lot of studying to do tomorrow, and that she wasn't completely comfortable driving home too late. Her grandparents had said they understood, and hugged her goodbye.

On the drive home, Rory wondered if her mother would be at the house. She hoped so, because she really did have to study all day, and that was rather difficult to do with a 2 year old running around. As soon as they arrived home, Rory put her sister to bed, and just stood there, looking down at the sleeping child with tears in her eyes. She let a few fall, thinking _It should have been better baby girl, I am so sorry… She was supposed to be a better mother to you. _

* * *

Monday finally came, and Rory was well prepared for her test. Lorelai had come home on Sunday, saying that she had "lost track of the time" and that she was sorry for leaving her alone for a few extra days. Rory had only rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, taking Kai with her. Now, as she walked to her last class of the day, she saw the boy she had run into last week. She had seen him around school a few times after the incident where he knocked her over, and had talked to him once or twice. His name was Atticus James, and he had moved from New York with his parents, because his dad had gotten transferred. 

"Atticus!" Rory yelled after the boy, not willing to run in order to catch up with him.

Atticus looked over is shoulder, slowing down when he saw who it was. "Hey Lor, what's up? How'd you do on your chem. test?" Atticus had taken to calling her Lorelai, or Lor, instead of Rory. He said he wanted to be different than everyone else, and that he liked Lorelai better. Rory had decided that if he was going to call her something other than Rory, she wanted to call him by his last name when she felt like it. He had quickly agreed, and shook hands on it.

"I think I did well, mom's been feeling better, and she was able to take care of Kai while I studied."

Atticus looked down at his feet for a second, before looking up and asking if she had to pick up her sister after school.

Rory only shrugged, and said, "I'm not sure, but I don't think so. Why?"

Atticus looked at his feet again and mumbled something incoherent.

"You're gonna have to speak up if you want me to understand you, James."

Atticus felt his cheeks grow warm, and took a deep breath. "I said, do you maybe want to get coffee with me after school? I mean, if you can't, I understand…"

Rory smiled, and just nodded her head yes.

Atticus' face lit up, and said "I'll meet you at your locker after your last class?"

"Sure." Rory replied before turning and walking away. She had a huge smile on her face, one she didn't want him to see. She got the feeling that it was going to be a wonderful day.

Rory didn't get home until 5:30 that night, and walked into the oddly quiet house. She called for her mom, and receiving no answer, went upstairs to Lorelai's room. Seeing that she obviously wasn't there, Rory went to put her books away. Walking into her room, she was surprised to find Kai in her crib (that she had outgrown several months before), with a note stuck to the side.

Ror,

I had an errand to run, I'll be back later. Take care of Kaidynn!

--Lorelai

Rory just stared at the letter, anger rising up in her. _She had just left a two year old alone for who knows how long! How could she do that?!_ Rory went over to the crib and picked up the little girl, checking to make sure everything was where it should be. You could never be too careful, especially since Lorelai was the one taking care of her that day. Rory was determined to never let this happen again, and if that meant she would pick Kai up from daycare every day after school, and drop her off every morning, then so be it.

She looked at the clock, realizing that it was probably time for dinner. Walking into the living room, Rory picked up the phone and dialed a number from memory.

"Yes, this is Rory Gilmore; I would like 1 large Hawaiian style pizza, with a side of pepperoni slices please… No, nothing to drink… 15 minutes? ... Ok, thank you!" Rory hung up the phone, and looked down at her sister. "Do you want to watch Dora, or Sesame Street?"

Kaidynn's face lit up at the mention of Dora the Explorer, and started bouncing up and down chanting "Dora! Dora! Dora!"

Rory figured this meant her sister wanted to watch Dora, and set the girl down to pop in the tape. After about 15 minutes, the doorbell rang. Expecting it to be the pizza guy, she grabbed a $20 out of her purse and swung the door open.

"Here you g- What are you doing here?" Rory looked frantic when she realized that it was not, in fact, the guy delivering their pizza, and started to slam the door, while shouting "Go away! Why would you come here? Just leave!!"


	4. Her Mothers Daughter

"Rory, I-"

"Save it Logan! I don't want to hear it! Not now, not ever! You need to leave, before I call the police!" Rory shouted in outrage, attempting to slam the door in his face.

Putting his weight against the door, he efficiently kept her from shutting him out. "I just want to see her! Please Ror, that's all…" He looked at her with pleading eyes.

For a moment Rory's determination wavered, before remembering all the crap that the boy standing before her had put her through. "You had plenty of chances before, but you blew it Logan! You will never see her now; I will make sure of that!"

"I have rights you know, I could take you to court. You know I can afford it." At this, Rory grew silent. Thinking that maybe he was getting through to her, he decided to push his luck. "Maybe we could move this conversation inside… We wouldn't want any of the neighbors to do anything rash, would we?"

Sighing, she opened the door wider and allowed him to enter the house. She led him into the living room, and they both sat down.

"Why now, Logan? For an entire year I begged you to come see her, to be a part of her life, but you always refused!"

"I offered to send you money, and I offered to pay for her daycare…" Logan looked down at his hands, nervous that she would make him admit that he was scared of meeting his own daughter.

"We didn't want your money! Well, mom did... But Kai and I, we didn't! And since you refused to be a part of her life, you screwed everything up! Mom wouldn't let me raise her without you!" Rory's eyes were now filled with tears, her voice suddenly raspy as she became overwhelmed with emotion. "She wouldn't let me raise my own baby..."

Logan looked up quickly when Rory said that she wasn't allowed to raise Kaidynn, "What do you mean she wouldn't let you raise her without me? Where is Kaidynn then? Isn't she here??"

Seeing that Logan was about ready to have a panic attack, the emotional teenager put her hand on his leg and prepared herself mentally for what she was about to explain.

"When mom realized that you weren't going to help me raise Kai, she decided that it would be best if we just told people that Kai was hers. Grandma and Grandpa actually came up with the idea, so as not to bring any shame to me." At this Logan looked up at her with disbelief.

"I didn't think you were one to care about your reputation, Rory."

Shaking her head, she quickly explained, "No, you have it all wrong! I didn't want mom to raise her! But I had no say in the matter. At first, mom was against it as well, but when she figured out that you weren't going to marry me and help me with the baby, she came to agree with their crazy plan. She made us move, as I'm sure you noticed, and told me that I had to play along or else she would take away Chilton and Yale, and that she would have Kai taken away forever. I was home schooled until I started Chilton, and by that time I was looking "normal" again."

"What do you mean you looked "normal"? You mean not pregnant?" Logan asked, his voice tight and his body tense. He had unconsciously grabbed her hand, and they had twined their fingers together out of habit.

"Grandma and Grandpa hired a personal trainer for me, and she had me back in shape by the time school was due to start. Nobody at Chilton knows the truth about Kai. Not even any of my old friends know that she is mine, except for Colin, Finn, and Stephanie…" Rory trailed off as she concentrated on her thoughts.

Logan's face was completely closed off as he took in this new information. He was furious with Emily and Richard, but mostly with Lorelai for letting this happen. "I don't get it Rory; your mom raised you without any help. Why did she think you weren't capable of doing the same with Kaidynn?"

"Its not that she didn't think I was capable, she just didn't want me to have to give up my dreams of Yale… Instead, she made me give up being a mother. Although recently I've gotten to experience what that's like, what with her always being gone." At Logan's confused looked, she went on to tell him about Lorelai's drinking and partying habits, and how she would bring her new boyfriends home to be the "daddy" she thought her girls needed. "We haven't heard from Chris in several years, and mom's given up any hope of ever seeing him again. But she still is determined to find us a dad, so she keeps bringing home guys. She claims that it's for us girls, but I know she's just selfish. These guys are for her own pleasure."

The teens fell into a silence that seemed to last a lifetime, before Logan finally asked a question that had been bothering him since he had arrived. "Why do you call her Kai? Every time you've mentioned her, it's been Kai, not Kaidynn. Why is that?"

Rory's eyes met his; she really didn't want to have to explain this to him. She didn't want to hurt him, but she knew she couldn't lie. "When I realized that you weren't going to be a part of Kai's life, I decided that calling her Kaidynn was too painful. I had already promised you that that's what I was going to name her, but shortening it to Kai made it hurt less. Kaidynn is something that you and I picked together. Kai is mine, and mine alone." She could see the hurt in Logan's eyes, but he didn't comment.

Still wondering why he was there after all this time, she decided to just come right out and ask him. "What are you doing here, Logan? And don't say you're here to see Kai, because I'm already aware of that and you know exactly what I mean. Why now? After all this time?"

"My parents have wanted me to be a part of Kaidynn's life since she was born, and for the first 6 months of her life they urged me to make amends with you. But I was too afraid of what would happen, so I just stayed away. As you know, Honor's been away in Europe for the last 3 years, and she just came back last week. She saw that I was miserable, and finally convinced me to come over here and try and talk to you. It took me an entire day to track down where you live now, and it took another full day to get up the courage to come."

Rory thought about everything he said, _His parents wanted him to be part of Kai's life? He was scared? I was scared too! That doesn't mean you just run away!_ "I can understand that you were scared Logan, but I was too. I still am. School is hard, and mom's hardly ever home so I'm taking care of Kai whenever I'm not in school. Mom hasn't been working for a few months now, so we've been relying on Grandma and Grandpa to send us money for food and things. All of my savings have been used up on things for Kai, and we had to beg my Grandparents for money. Well, I had to. Mom still doesn't know that I went to them. She thinks its bad enough that they pay for my Chilton tuition, and Kai's daycare. I wish you had been here… Life would have been so much better with you. At least then Kai would know that I'm her mommy..."

Logan felt incredibly guilty for being such a coward, and wondered how he could make it up to her. _Maybe if I transfer to Chilton, I could help her out some? _"How would you feel about me transferring to Chilton, Ror?"

"Are you serious? Logan, I don't want you to do this because you feel bad… If you're going to be around me, that means you have to be around Kai. And if you're going to be around Kai, you can't just leave whenever you feel like it. I wont let you. It's all or nothing."

Logan took a few moments to think it over before looking up into her eyes and taking hold of her other hand, "I'm in. All the way in. I want this Rory, I do! I promise you I wont leave you or Kaidynn. I want to be here for you, and I have for a long time. I was just too afraid of what would happen if I approached you now. I didn't want to screw things up any more than I already had…"

Rory looked at him with tears in her eyes, and leaned over to hug him. "Do you want to see her? She's asleep, but you can go in and look at her at least." she whispered into his ear.

He nodded enthusiastically, standing up and following her into the room shared by the two girls. He looked down at the sleeping girl, and felt his heart constrict at how beautiful she was. _She's so perfect, and innocent… She looks just like Rory,_ he thought, with a fond smile.

Both Rory and Logan were startled out of their thoughts when they heard the door slam.

"Rory? Where are you? I have take-out!"

Rory looked over at Logan, fear visible in her eyes. _She must have found the pizza on the porch, I totally forgot it was coming! I will have to be sure and pay Jack _(The pizza guy) _tomorrow._ "She's going to freak out if she sees you here! You need to leave… I'll distract her and get her upstairs, and when we're out of site, hurry and go out the front door!"

Logan nodded his understanding, and as soon as Rory left to the room to distract her mother, he quickly leaned over and kissed his little girl on the forehead.

"I'm not going to leave you ever again, baby girl. I promise." With that, he walked out of the bedroom and out the front door. He had some arrangements to make. Now how did he explain to his friends, and Rory's former friends, that he was leaving St. Andrew's to go to Chilton so that he could be with Rory, and have a relationship with his daughter? They all knew that Rory was pulled out of school because she was pregnant, but were hurt that she hadn't kept in contact. Now that Logan knew it wasn't her choice, he would have to explain that to them. _They will understand, they all grew up with manipulative parents._ It was going to be an interesting week…

* * *

**If you want a little bit of backround information on Rory's pregnancy, and what happened with that, just PM me. I would be happy to share it with you, although I plan to add it to the story at some point. Let me know if you like it people!!**


	5. And so it begins

"What do you mean you want to _transfer _to Chilton? What's wrong with St. Andrew's?" Mitchum and Shira Huntzberger had not taken the news of Logan wanting to transfer as well as he had hoped.

Sighing at the thought of telling his parents everything that Rory had told him, Logan prepared himself mentally for what he assumed would be a very long conversation. He had called his parents earlier, and set up a meeting with them for later in the evening, saying it was very, _very_ important that he speak with them.

_15 minutes later_

"I can see Richard and Emily doing that, but Lorelai? She raised Rory by herself; I can't believe that she would make that decision! Poor dear!" Shira now wished that she had tried harder to keep in touch with Rory, knowing now that leaving the girl alone had been a big mistake. _Clearly Lorelai is not fit to be a mother! _She thought, wishing she could just take Rory and Kai away from their unhappy life.

Logan looked between his parents, trying to determine what their decision was. Unfortunately they gave nothing away, so he decided just to ask. "Well? What do you think…?" He could hear the desperate hopefulness in his voice, and after exchanging his look, his father looked him straight in the eye.

"Son, we are proud of you for wanting to be there for Rory, even if it is a little later than we would have liked. You may transfer if that is what you really want, and we will make sure to keep it from the Gilmores, but I want you to think about it for a few hours and get back to me after dinner. If you decide that you still want to do it, then I will set things up tonight, and you will be going to Chilton Monday morning. How does that sound?"

Logan looked up at his father in disbelief. _Had he really agreed? Could he finally be there for Rory, and his daughter?_ "That sounds reasonable. Thank you!"

Mitchum and Shira just smiled and their son, before returning to the tasks that Logan had interrupted when he called this 'urgent' meeting with them. They were proud of him for wanting to do the right thing, even if he _was_ two years later than they would have liked.

* * *

"What do you mean you want to _transfer _to Chilton? What's wrong with St. Andrew's?" Finn asked Logan, unwittingly using the exact words his parents had uttered the night before. 

It was Friday, and Logan had told his parents at dinner Thursday night, after thinking it over, that he definitely wanted to transfer. His father had immediately called the school and set it up, and Logan was to start on Monday. Now, he was attempting to explain to his friends exactly why he was leaving them.

"Guys… This is my chance to finally be with Rory and Kaidynn… I explained to you what happened, how can you not understand?" Logan wanted the approval of his friends, wanted to know that they understood and didn't think that he was completely crazy. They were all secretly excited to hear that he had spoken with Rory, but pretended not to care as they were upset by the news of Logan leaving them too. After hearing why she left without so much as a word, none of them were mad like they had been when she first disappeared, but none of them had expected that Logan would want to transfer last second, and it was a huge shock to them. They understood his need to be with her, but they also didn't want to lose him.

"Why can't you just go see her on weekends or something?" Colin chipped in, coming off insensitive, as usual.

Logan sighed in exasperation for the fourth time. "Because Lorelai hates me, and she can't find out. Nor can the elder Gilmores, they would make Rory change schools again. Besides, weekends aren't enough; I have missed too much already. This way, I would at least get to see Rory almost every day; and Kaidynn fairly often as well."

Stephanie stepped up to her long time friend and wrapped her arms around him, "I get it Logan. But I'm going with you. I miss Rory, and it sounds like she needs her best friend more than ever!"

"Steph, you can't do that… You love it here!" Logan protested, not wanting Stephanie to feel obligated to switch schools to help him and Rory.

"Actually…" all eyes swung to Finn, wondering what would come out of his mouth next, "I don't think it's a bad idea. What if we all transfer? That way, we can all keep an eye on her and the baby!" As he said this, Finn's eyes got big, and he got all excited like a little kid does when told he's going to Disneyland.

"She's two Finn, not a baby! And really you guys, you _don't_ have to do this…"

Colin spoke up next, voicing his support "but we _want _to Logan, Rory was--...is our friend too."

It was settled. On Monday, Logan, Finn, Colin and Stephanie would be attending Chilton. Expecting only Logan, and even then not quite believing it, Rory was in for quite a surprise.

* * *

Monday mornings were always hectic for Rory. Kaidynn still hadn't quite grasped the concept of only going to daycare for 5 days, and then getting a two day break. She always seemed to forget that she had to go to daycare again by the time that Mondays rolled around. 

Rory had dropped her daughter off at daycare, and still had plenty of time to get to school, so she stopped off for a coffee or four. While she stood in line, she thought about how things had already changed since she had talked with Logan. She had started to think of Kaidynn as her own again, like she had when she was first born, and not like a little sister. She had never fully stopped thinking of Kaidynn as hers, but she never really considered herself to be the girl's mother. Lorelai had done most of the hard stuff when Kaidynn was still a baby.

Stepping into Chilton, Rory glanced at the time on her watch, and decided she still had time to get to her locker and relax a bit before she had to get to class. As she was opening her locker, she sensed someone behind her, and heard a familiar voice in her ear.

"Is this locker taken?" Logan gestured to the locker that was right next to hers, grinning when he saw that he had startled her.

Rory spun around, her startled expression soon turning into a grin when she saw Logan. "Well it depends on who's asking, mister." And suddenly she noticed how close he was standing.

Logan just stared at her, not quite believing that this was really happening. Neither one of them really believed it.

"I have a surprise for you… Look behind me." He said, smiling in anticipation of her reaction.

Rory looked over his shoulder, gasping in surprise at what, or rather _who_ she saw. They saw her shocked expression, and were all wearing huge grins after seeing the comical look on her face.

"What are you doing here?? I mean, not that you can't be here, but you don't go to this school… Unless… Did you transfer too? Or are you just here to see Logan off, or-"

She was cut off by a squealing Stephanie, who ran over to her and hugged her.

"Shut up will you? We transferred too! Did you really think we'd let Logan keep you for himself?"

The hallway was now full of students heading to classes, some looking curiously at the group of newcomers.

"You guys… I…"

"Save it Rory. Logan told us. Now get over here and give us a proper hello!" Colin used a stern voice, but the huge smile he had on his face told everyone that he was just playing around.

Rory ran over and hugged both Colin and Finn, all the while talking a mile a minute. She had at least one class with all of them, and they all had the same lunch. Apparently having parents with money and important last names could come in handy... The friends all headed off to their classes, not knowing that their lives had just changed drastically.


	6. Paper Airplanes Make Me Blush

**I'm thinking about putting up a short story about Rory's life before she got pregnant, continuing up until she starts at Chilton. This story would also explain the Ashley Kizoo thing. Let me know what you think! I wouldn't be putting it up until after this story is finished, because I have yet to write it, and it's just an idea I've been toying with for a day or two now. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Logan, Colin, Finn and Stephanie were sitting in the cafeteria, waiting for Rory. They had grabbed one of the few remaining empty tables, and quickly claimed it as theirs for the lunch period. Everyone was interested in the four new kids, wondering why on earth that many students would transfer at once, and how they all new each other. Maybe it was just a new kid thing? You know, stick together in a new place? Nobody knew for sure where they came from, but rumors were already flying. The four friends were oblivious, and ignored the glances that were aimed in their direction. 

"Man, where is she? I thought she said she had the same lunch as us!"

"Finn, chill out. She's only like three minutes late…" Stephanie playfully smacked Finn on the side of the head, causing him to glare at her and throw a straw in her general direction.

Colin intercepted the straw, and threw it back at Finn, causing Logan to look over at them with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Come on guys, cut it out. Ror will get here when she gets here, and in the mean time can you please try and act your ages?" Although his voice was stern, the smile on his face told his friends that he didn't mean it.

"Hey! Sorry it took me so long, I had to do something before I could get here." An out of breath Rory caused the four occupants of the table to turn towards her.

"Rory, love! Get over here and say hello to your favorite Finny!" And before she knew what was happening, Finn had pulled Rory onto his lap.

"Finn, you're the _only_ Finny I know! And put me down, everyone's looking at us!" Rory tried to squirm out of his lap, looking at the others for help.

"Alright love, calm down. Don't get your panties in a twist! I'll put you down, but first you gotta give me a proper greeting."

Rory just looked at him in disbelief, wondering if he really expected a "proper greeting" as he put it, with practically half the school looking on. "Fine, but you're going to owe me Finny, dear. You have to take Steph and I shopping!"

Finn's face paled, but he nodded anyways, knowing that either way him and the guys would end up taking their two friends shopping sooner or later.

Glancing at Stephanie and smiling, Rory gave Finn a kiss on the cheek, before doing the same to Colin and Logan.

"Ok, put me down now!" Rory demanded, having given the boys the greeting she always gave them back before Kaidynn.

Finn released his hold on her, and she quickly moved to her own seat, suddenly remembering the reason she was late. She turned around to see Atticus still standing where she had left him, looking confused, and slightly amused at what he had witnessed. "Guys, this is my friend Atticus. I usually eat lunch with him. James, these are my best friends from my old school! The crazy Australian that pulled me onto his lap is Finn, the boy next to him is Colin, and the other two are Steph and Logan. I'm sure you can figure out which is which." Rory winked at him, and patted the seat next to her, obviously wanting him to sit.

"It's nice to meet you all, I've heard some pretty crazy stories from Lor."

When Atticus sat down on the other side of Rory, Logan had moved closer to her and wrapped his arm around her waist. Out of habit, she leaned against him and continued to eat his food.

"Lor? Who's Lor? You mean Rory?" Stephanie asked, trying not to notice the current position of Logan and Rory, and smiling slightly at the fact that Rory hadn't bothered to get lunch, assuming Logan would have one. She wasn't even sure they realized what they were doing.

Atticus glanced at Logan's arm around Rory waist, and wondered what was going on. At first he had thought that she was with that Finn guy, but now she was all cuddly with the blonde. _I'll have to ask her about it later…_ "Oh, yeah. I decided I liked Lor better than Rory, and she said it was fine with her if I used that instead."

"So how long have you known Ror?" Steph asked, still trying to figure out his relationship with Rory. She was trying to pry in a subtle way, so that Rory wouldn't notice and make her stop.

"We met at the beginning of the quarter, and I bought her coffee so apparently I'm stuck with her forever. Anyone know how I can get rid of her?" Atticus asked jokingly, pulling on a piece of Rory's hair teasingly.

"Nope, sorry mate. We've been trying for years, but we just can't seem to shake her!"

Rory looked over at Finn, a fake look of hurt on her face, and a pout on her lips. "Is that really the way you feel Finny? Cause I could always leave…" Rory got up and pretended to walk away, but Logan grabbed her arm before she could get anywhere and pulled her onto is lap.

"Not so fast, Ace. I never said I wanted to get rid of you. Finn's just upset that you don't love him as much as you love me." Logan winked at her, and Rory just laughed, getting comfortable on his lap.

"You guys are crazy… Lunch is almost over, we should hurry up and finish eating." And with that, Rory started eating the food off of Logan's tray.

"Hey! That's my food, get your own!" Logan attempted to pull the tray out from under her, but got his hand bit in the process.

"You bit me! I can't believe you just bit me!" Logan looked up to see the rest of his friends trying to hold back their laughter, and saw the amusement in Rory's eyes as she continued to eat her food.

"What can I say? You should know better than to try and take food from a Gilmore girl!"

"It's true man, remember what happened last time I tried to tell her not to eat my ice cream? She almost kneed me in the balls!"

"Oh shut up Colin, you offered the ice cream to me then tried to change your mind. You deserved it! Besides, you love me!" Rory batted her eyelashes at him, a huge grin on her face. She remembered that day well, mostly how scared he looked when she threatened him, and how he was afraid to go near her for a whole day. _He can be such a pansy sometimes! _she thought in amusement.

"Just eat your food Gilmore." And with that, everyone turned their attention towards eating before the lunch period ended. They only had five minutes left, and the rest of the day was going to suck if all of them had empty stomachs.

* * *

The rest of the day had passed rather uneventfully, a few random people asking Rory about the new kids she sat with at lunch, and Tristan DuGrey bugging her more than usual when she refused to acknowledge his presence. 

In her last class of the day, Finn decided that throwing paper airplanes at Rory from across the room when the teacher wasn't looking, was a good idea. The airplanes had random notes on them, saying things like 'Will you marry me?' and 'You look sexy when you're concentrating, love!' in an attempt to either make her burst out laughing, or blush. The other students in the class watched the airplanes fly in amusement, always being thrown by the new boy, and never being returned. One airplane was intercepted by the psychology teacher, Mr. Craimer, and read in front of the class.

"Since it seems that Mr. Morgan cannot wait to give Ms. Gilmore this message, I will do them both a favor and read it out loud for everyone to hear. 'Roses are red, Violets are blue, will you go to the bleachers with me? We could have fun, like at that party thrown by Ashley Kizoo!' Well, Rory? What do you have to say to the young man?" At this point, the entire class was laughing at the ridiculous poem that didn't rhyme, and at the innuendos suggested.

Rory looked absolutely mortified, and just stared at Finn in shock. "Finn! What… What?! No!"

Finn tried unsuccessfully to contain his laughter, and just winked and blew a kiss at his long-time friend.

Mr. Craimer got the class back under control, and the rest of the period passed by without any more incidents. The rest of the class kept sneaking glances at the usually quiet girl, and wondered just what the new boy was talking about.

* * *

When school ended later that day, Rory wouldn't speak to Finn, and just smacked him upside the head when he walked past her to go to his locker. Stephanie saw the exchange, and looked at Rory in confusion. 

"What did he do now?"

Rory just sighed and looked up at her. "Remember fourth grade? The note?"

"Oh my gosh! He didn't!! Did he? He wouldn't!"

"He would and he did… Only worse. Remember Ashley Kizoo's party?"

Stephanie just burst out laughing, while Logan and Colin walked up.

Having heard the last part of the conversation, Logan and Colin chuckled at the mention of Ashley Kizoo's party, and left it alone. Neither of them wanted to be on the receiving end of Rory's wrath.

"It wasn't that funny Steph… Anyways, I have to get going, I've got to get Kai. I'll see you guys later ok?" And with that, she walked quickly out the door, ignoring Logan when he called after her.


	7. Dinner and a FinnFinn

"Rory wait!" Logan sprinted out the door and down the steps, trying to catch up with Rory, who was already half-way across the parking lot. "Stop, please!"

"Why? Just leave me alone Logan, I'm already late!" Rory stopped and turned towards Logan, waiting for him to catch up.

"Because I want to go with you! I want to see her while she's actually awake!"

With an exasperated sigh, Rory ran a hand through her hair, pondering what she just heard "Logan…"

"Please Ror, just let me go with?" Logan looked at her, pleading with his eyes. _Come on Rory… Just say yes!_

Walking away from Logan, she looked back over her shoulder "Fine, but I'm driving."

On the drive to the daycare, not another word was said. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but one that showed how strong their relationship really was. Words were not needed to fill silence, being in each others presence was enough. Once Rory pulled into a parking stall, she turned to look at Logan, thinking hard about what she wanted to say.

Logan just stared at Rory, wondering if she expected him to say something. "Rory, I-"

"No Logan, just let me talk, ok?" When she saw Logan's mouth snap shut, she continued, "I'm not going to tell her who you really are. Not now, at least. I want her to get to know you first and also…" Rory hesitated, not sure if she should say what she was thinking.

"Also, what? Come on, don't leave me hanging."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I want to make sure you're going be around for awhile before she gets too attached…"

Logan looked down at his lap. He knew that was coming, but it still stung a little bit. "I understand where you're coming from, and I will do whatever you want me to, as long as eventually you will tell her who I am."

"Of course I will! I promise Logan, after a few months, she'll know who you really are."

Reaching over, Logan grabbed her hand and squeezed it lightly, before opening his door. Rory followed his lead, and prepared herself for the introductions she was about to make. _How is Kai going to react? She looks so much like Logan; will the daycare workers realize who he is?_ Putting her worries aside, Rory walked up to the desk, smiling at the receptionist, Nancy. The staff at the daycare had become used to seeing Rory, as she had been the one picking up Kai lately.

"Kai will be out in a minute. She's such a sweet child!" Nancy said, beaming at the thought of the little girl. "And who is this handsome young man?" She asked, with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face.

"Oh! Umm this is Logan. Logan, this is Nancy…" Unsure of how to proceed, and hoping to avoid further questioning, Rory was saved when the door opened and Kaidynn came running out to hug her.

"Mommy!!!" Kaidynn giggled when Rory swung her up into her arms, and wrapped her short little arms around her mothers' neck. She was still unsure of why her 'other mommy' had stopped seeing her so much, but was perfectly happy with her 'new mommy'.

"Did you have a good day baby girl?" Rory asked, setting the child down and grabbing her hand instead. Logan had grabbed the diaper bag from Nancy, and the three were heading out towards the car.

"Yes mommy!" Then, noticing Logan for the first time, she tugged on Rory's arm. "Mommy, who dat?"

Rory glanced up at Logan, and bent down to her daughters' level. "That's mommy's friend Logan, can you say hi?"

Kaidynn looked up at the unfamiliar boy, and hid her face in her mothers' neck. Shyly she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Hi… Mommy… Home?"

"Yeah baby, we're going home." As soon as the words left her mouth, her cell phone rang. "Logan, can you put her in her car seat please?

Startled by this request, Logan opened his mouth to protest "I...-"

"Its not hard, she'll show you how to do it. Go on Kai, get in." Rory answered her phone, watching as Kaidynn climbed up into her seat. "Hello? ... Hey Finn, what's going on? … Yeah, he's here with me, why? … I don't know Finn, we've got Kai with us, and I don't have anyone to watch her… I'm not sure bringing her is- … Ok! Fine! We'll see you there!" And with that, Rory snapped her cell phone shut, rolling her eyes skyward. "Why do we put up with him?" She muttered under her breath.

Logan looked at her, an amused expression on his face. "What did Finn want?"

"We're going out to eat with everyone. Kai too."

"Kaidynn." Logan corrected, hoping to get her into the habit of using the full name they had picked for their daughter.

"What?" Rory looked at him confused, glancing over to make sure Kaidynn was securely in her seat.

"Her name is Kaidynn, not Kai. I'd really like it if you started calling her by her full name… It just sounds so much prettier."

Not wanting to get into a fight, Rory quickly nodded her head. She would need her energy for the dinner with her friends, and she didn't want to waste any of it arguing about something as silly as what she called her daughter.

"Mommy? We go home?" Kaidynn yelled at her mother, through the closed door.

Rory and Logan got in the car, and Rory explained to Kaidynn that they were going to go eat with some of her old friends. "Mommy hasn't seen these people in a long, long time, ok?"

"Okay." Was the only response she got, and with that, Rory started the engine.

* * *

As they trio entered the restaurant, they scanned the room for their friends, and quickly spotted them at a large table near the back. Stephanie was the first to notice them, standing up and waving to get their attention. "Rory! Logan!" 

Rory and Logan both waved at Steph, and hurried to their friends. Kaidynn hid behind her mothers legs, and would not let go of her hand.

Rory looked down at the girl, and tried to pull her out from behind her. "Kai…dynn, these are mommies friends. I told you about them remember?"

Kaidynn peeked around Rory, looking at the three people seated around the table.

"Hi, I'm Steph! Your mommy has told me all about you. I hear you like pink?"

Kaidynn nodded her head "It's pretty…"

Steph giggled, "Yes, it is pretty. It's my favorite color! See?" She stood up and twirled around, letting Kaidynn see all the pink accessories she wore.

Kaidynn's eyes were round; she had never seen so many pink "frillies" in her life. Rory didn't wear pink hardly ever, and Lorelai wasn't around enough for her to know.

Rory laughed at her daughters obvious delight, and introduced the other two boys. "The boy with the funny hair is Finn, and the other one is Colin. Say hi?"

Kaidynn again hid behind Rory's legs, and whispered "Hi" to the boys.

Finn, unsure of why the little girl was so shy, bounced out of his seat, and tried talking to her like he had seen Steph do. "'Ello little Love, I'm Finn. Am I mistaken, or are you the little princess that I've heard so much about?"

Forgetting her shyness, Kaidynn giggled "No silly! I'm Kaidynn!"

Finn bowed to her, "I'm terribly sorry, Kaidynn, you just look so much like a Princess that I thought you must be one!"

A waiter came to their table, asking if they were ready to order, and if they would need a highchair for the "small child". Kaidynn did not like being referred to as a small child, and insisted that she was too big for a highchair.

"Mommy! I'm big!" She stomped her foot, not happy that everyone was laughing.

Rory just muttered under her breath, "Yeah well, mommy doesn't want you on her lap."

"Aw, love, she can sit between Steph and I. Right Steph?" At Stephanie's nod of approval, Finn once again bent down to Kaidynn's level. "How about that? Sit with us?"

Kaidynn looked up at her mother uncertainly, and after seeing Rory's smile, she happily agreed.

After dinner, which had lasted 3 hours, much longer than Rory had anticipated, Kaidynn was asleep on Finn's lap. Logan had insisted on paying for hers and Kaidynn's meals and treating them to dessert, and now Rory was stuffed. She looked over at Kaidynn, smiling at the sight of Finn cradling her little girl, who was curled up in his lap, fast asleep.

"Well, she sure is sleepy… We should probably get home. My mom will be back soon, and if I don't beat her there she'll yell at me 'for keeping Kaidynn out so long'." Rolling her eyes, Rory made it obvious that Lorelai would use any excuse to yell at her daughter.

Logan glanced at his watch, thinking about the meeting he was supposed to have with his father in an hour. "Ror, my car is still at the school, I rode with you remember?"

"Shoot, I totally forgot! Do you think you could get a ride with Colin or Finn?" Rory glanced at the two boys, sure that one would offer.

Colin wrapped his arm around Logan's neck, ruffling up his hair. "Sure, I'll give him a ride, I've got nothing better to do tonight." He glanced over at Steph, making it obvious that he wished they had plans. _She can be so stubborn sometimes!_

"Thanks man, I'd rather not have to take a bus…" Everyone, minus Rory, shuddered at the thought of Public Transportation. It had never been an option for them, all having money their whole lives.

"Here Finn, I'll take her now." Rory said, bending down to pick up the little girl.

"Nah, I've got her. The little twirp's kinda grown on me." Finn muttered, not meeting Colins amused expression.

Rory just smiled, digging her keys out of her purse. "Ok then, let's go. My car's pretty close."

As she and Finn reached the car, Kaidynn woke up. "Finn-Finn?"

Finn looked down when he heard her voice. "Yes little love?"

"Buh-bye?" She asked sleepily, barely opening her eyes.

"Yeah princess, I've gotta go buh-bye." He said with a chuckle. Logan was sure in trouble with this one, he was probably already wrapped around her finger.

"'Kay." Closing her eyes, she went right back to sleep.

Rory laughed outright at that, amused at how quickly both Logan and Finn had fallen for her little girl.

"She sure is a sweet one, Ror. How's Logan taking all of this?"

"He's taking all of it fine, Finn. Now if you'll excuse us, I'd like to say goodbye to Rory and _our _daughter." Logan walked up behind Finn, who had just finished buckling Kaidynn into her car seat.

"Alright, alright. Don't get yer panties in a twist mate!" Finn backed away from the car, holding his hands out in front of him. "Bye Rory, see ya at school!"

"Bye Finn, thanks." Rory waved, and then turned to Logan. "What on earth was that? Finn was just being nice!"

"He hogged her the entire evening! Him and Steph!"

"Keep your voice down, and no they didn't! You could have made more of an effort to talk to her." Rory was annoyed at Logan's childish behavior. "You can't possibly be jealous of Finn and Steph! They're your friends, and its good that Kaidynn likes them. If this is the way its gonna be, maybe we should re-think this whole thing…"

Logan shook his head quickly, "No! I don't want that! I just… I'm sorry, I've just missed so much… And I didn't get that kind of a greeting out of her… She let Finn hold her, and she was distant with me. That's not right!"

"Well, maybe you should make more of an effort! Finn was just being Finn. Please relax?" Rory pleaded with him, not wanting Logan to be mad at his friends for being more outgoing.

Logan sighed and ran his hand through his hair, messing it up more than Colin had. "Alright, I'm sorry… I'll try harder."

Rory smiled, and moved next to him. "Good. I want everything to be ok with all of us. I've missed everyone so much…"

Wrapping his arm around her, Logan took a chance and threaded his fingers through hers. "But me the most, right?"

Rory just laughed, and kissed him on the cheek. "But you the most."

After a minute or two, Rory said she had to go, and got into her car, starting it and rolling down the window. "I'll see you at school?"

Logan opened the door and kissed Kaidynn on the cheek. Closing it, he looked over at Rory, "Yeah, I'll see ya at school." He walked over to her window, leaning in close to her. "Rory…"

Making the gap even smaller, Rory whispered, "Yeah?"

"I've missed you more than you know." Closing the distance completely, Logan captured her lips in his, kissing her briefly before backing up and walking over to where Colin had parked his car. "See you at school!"


	8. Rory NOT Lorelai!

**Ok, I know this took a REALLY long time, and I am SO sorry that its as short as it is, but I've been severely busy... You know, that whole school thing? It tends to take up alot of time. And I figured, I might as well give you a short chapter for now, so that you don't all abandon me, and give you a better, hopefully longer, chapter next time. **

**I want to dedicate this chapter to MarianaTeresia, because she messaged me and asked me rather nicely if I would please update soon. So, here ya go! Sorry if it sucks!**

* * *

"Why did I let him do that? Am I crazy!" Rory berated herself under her breath, not wanting to wake her now sleeping daughter. "GAH!" She hit the steering wheel in frustration, stopping at a stop sign for a few minutes. Glancing at the clock, she realized how late it was and hoped Lorelai wasn't home. As she pulled in, Rory noticed thatnone of the lights in the house were on,but Lorelai's Jeep was in the driveway. "Shit!"

"Momma?"

Rory glanced into the rear-view mirror and half smiled at Kaidynn "What baby"

"Juice?" Kaidynn said, holding out her hands

"Soon baby, we're home" Rory said, sighing to herself. She parked her car and got out, throwing her keys in her purse. Walking around to get Kaidynn out of her seat, she wondered why allofthe lights in the house were off, if Lorelai was home.She started muttering to herself, while unbuckling the car seat.

"Wrong?" said the sweet little voice that belonged to her daughter.

"Nothing baby, Mommy's just having a bad day…"

"Why?"

"I just am baby, don't worry about it."

A few seconds passed by, and just as Rory got the buckles untangled she heard a door open.

"Rory!" Lorelai stepped outside, a worried look on her face, "Where have you been? Where's Kai?"

Rory picked Kaidynn up out of her car seat, and placed her on one hip, grabbing the diaper bag and her backpack with the other. "I went to dinner with some friends, and brought Kaidynn with me."

"And you didn't think to tell me! I was worried sick! I went to go pick up MY daughter, and found out that she wasn't there! How do you think I felt? Do you have any idea? Huh?" Lorelai had crossed over to where her daughter was standing, and was now yelling in Rory's face.

Kaidynn had started crying, and had her face in her mother's neck, scratching Rory's neck in the process. Rory tried to gently shift her daughter so that she was no longer clawing her, but was unsuccessful. "Mom! Stop it! You're scaring Kaidynn! We need to move this inside! The neighbors are going to get mad!"

"I don't care about the stupid neighbors, let them get mad! I want to know why you think you can just take MY daughter and go off gallivanting with your friends at all hours!" When Rory did not answer immediately, Lorelai went off into another rant, "I want an answer! Do you know what its like to be constantly worried? Do you! What if something had happened? What if she had gotten hurt, and had gone to the hospital, and then we would have had all the medical bills to take care of! Your grandparents would not be very happy, Rory!"

"First of all, she's NOT yours, she's MINE! And second, is that what this is about? The money? And what grandma and grandpa will think!" Rory turned and walked into the house, determined to get away from her mother long enough to get Kaidynn some juice, and put her in their room. Lorelai, however, would have none of that, and grabbed Rory's arm, only to have it jerked out of her grasp.

"Come back here! You do not walk away from me when I am talking to you! Rory!"

Storming into the kitchen, Rory set Kaidynn down on the counter, and got some juice out of the fridge. She poured the juice into a sippy cup, and handed it to the crying two-year old, who ceased her cries as soon as she got her juice. Hearing Lorelai enter the kitchen, Rory quickly grabbed Kaidynn and rushed her into their room, setting her inher crib. Shelaid the little girl down, handed her a stuffed hippo, and kissed her on the forehead. "Mommy's gonna leave you here for a little bit, ok?"

The sweet little curls bobbed up and down as Kaidynn nodded and gave a barely understandable "Kay." in reply. 

Rory shut the door to the room behind her, and turned around to find her mother standing right behind her. "Why are you being so rebellious? You were always such a good kid!"

"You've been drinking! I'm not going totalk you while you're drunk!" Rory walked out into the living room, leaving her mother behind and hoping she would leave the argument for later. But it turns out her mother was in an arguing mood. She'd been like that a lot lately.

"LORELAI LEIGH!"

Rory spun around, startling her mother, who had not expect a reaction at all. "My name is RORY! You may have given me YOUR name, but I am NOTHING like you! I am ashamed to have your name!" And with that, Rory stalked over to her room, and locked the door after her, efficiently shutting her mother out for the night.

* * *

**Ok, hate me all you want. I know it sucks. But its better than nothing, right? I'm really needing some help you guys, writers block sucks. And the lack of time doesn't really help. Also, someone pointed out to me that Atticus hasn;t shown up again. Don't worry, I do have a plan!Trust me!**


	9. Overdose: Reality?

**I'm sorry! I would have had this up sooner, but I finally have a beta! Thanks you the lovely miss Kavi Leighanna! Also, fanfiction was being dumb and wouldn't let me log-in... So I had to wait. Here it is! I hope you like it, its one of my favorites so far!**

* * *

Two weeks passed, and things were relatively calm in the Gilmore household. Rory had established a routine with Kaidynn, and adjusted well to being a full-time Mom. It wasn't too different from being full-time Big Sister/part-time Mom, other than having Kaidynn constantly with her, to keep her away from Lorelai. Lorelai had been going out nearly every night, sometimes not coming back until the next afternoon, and had even brought men home with. Rory was getting fed up with her mother's immature behavior, and was contemplating whether or not she should bring it up. The Pro/Con List said no.

It was a Friday afternoon, and Rory was just putting Kaidynn down for her nap. The little girl had struggled, and would cry every time Rory tried to leave the room. Finally, Kaidynn fell asleep, allowing Rory to leave.

Not even ten minutes had passed when Rory heard the front door bang open and a drunk Lorelai yell "Rory! Rorryyyy!"

Rory, startled, looked up from her book, and shushed her wayward mother, "Shh! I just got Kaidynn to sleep! Where have you been?!"

"Shh!" Lorelai shushed Rory back, loudly walking through the entry way. "We've got company coming! Shh!"

Rory looked at Lorelai, confused. "Mom, what company? Who's coming over?"

Lorelai just shrugged and giggled, turning on the stereo, blasting the Red Hot Chili Peppers. "TELL ME BABY! WHAT'S YOUR STORY??"

Leaping over to turn off the music, Rory frantically cried "Mom! Stop! What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing, RORY, what's wrong with YOU?" Lorelai shouted, as she walked over to the room shared by Rory and Kaidynn. Rory saw this, and quickly followed her mother, but wasn't able to keep her from entering the room and heading towards the sleeping child. By the time she made it to the door, Lorelai was holding a whimpering Kaidynn, and whispering to her. "We're gonna go on a trip, k? How's that sound? You wanna go on a trip with mommy?" Lorelai bounced the little girl, as if she were a crying newborn, and started walking around the room, throwing things into a random backpack.

Looking over to her mother, Kaidynn started crying "Mama?"

Lorelai shushed her, and started jiggling her even more, further upsetting the sleepy child.

Rory ran in, and tried to take her daughter from the crazed woman, trying to keep from seeming panicked. "Mom! Give her to me! What are you doing? What trip? What are you talking about?"

"Let go, Rory! Let go!" Lorelai shoved Rory away, and fell into the wall from the momentum, banging the side of Kaidynn's body in the process. Kaidynn started screaming, and Rory rushed over to her baby girl, not noticing the sound of the front door being opened.

"What the hell is going on in here? Are you ready to go yet 'Lai? The van's waiting!" All eyes turned at the sound of the newcomer's voice, seeing a strange, gruff looking man. His messy curly hair, unshaven face, and rumpled clothes made him look slightly menacing, and Rory started to panic internally. Thinking quickly, Rory did the first thing that popped into her head.

"We need help packing! Could you help us get this backpack closed? Please?" Rory made her voice sound innocent, and helpless. The stranger obviously bought it, and walked into the room. "You never said nothing 'bout the older one 'Lai! She comin' with? I ain't gonna support a nearly grown girl!"

Lorelai was still looking at Rory in shock, but quickly reassured the man the Rory wasn't coming along, just "the baby".

The stranger was getting fed up with Kaidynn's crying, and finally decided to take matters into his own hands. Grabbing the girl out of Lorelai's hands, he covered her mouth, while holding her by her shoulder, feet barely touching the ground. "Shut up! God, she gonna do this all the time 'Lai?"

Rory stared on in horror, but seeing her opportunity, she made her move just as Lorelai responded.

"Of course not, she's just upse- RORY! COME BACK HERE!" Rory had grabbed Kaidynn out of the man's unsteady grasp, and snagged the strap of the backpack on her way out the door. She ran out to her car, and as she heard Lorelai and the man following, she forgot all thoughts of securing Kaidynn into her car-seat, and just held the girl on her lap as she drove away from her house.

* * *

After driving around for 20 minutes, making it as hard as possible for anyone to follow her, she pulled into the parking lot of a road-side diner and broke down sobbing. Kaidynn had been silent since they left the house, and was curled up in a ball on Rory's lap, clutching her mother's shirt in her fingers. Rory was worried about the girl, and pulled her up so that she could look her in the face. She saw the look of pure terror, and her heart broke. "Kaidynn? Baby? Talk to mommy…"

Kaidynn just stared back, and tried to curl back up. It was then that Rory noticed the side of her face was all bruised. "Oh baby, does it hurt?" Kaidynn just nodded, tears in her eyes. Rory decided that she needed to clean the cut on her baby's forehead, and that the bathroom in the diner would have to do. Opening her car door, she tried to get out without shifting Kaidynn too much. At the sound of a whimper escaping Kaidynn's lips, tears welled up in Rory's eyes. Where could she go? Who could she call? Not Logan, or any of them… They would all do something rash… They would all know what happened… But who else was there? Her grandparents? Certainly not! Her dad? No, he had been out of the picture for a long time… Her thoughts were interrupted as the bell above the door jingled upon her entrance. A few people looked up, but their entrance went mostly unnoticed. Seeing the sign for the bathroom, Rory quickly made her way over to it, and entered, locking the door behind her. She glanced up in the mirror, and noticed her ruffled appearance. Casting her vain thoughts away, she set to the task of cleaning up her daughter, and quickly returned to her car. This time, she strapped Kaidynn properly into her car-seat, and made up her mind on where to go.

'We'll be safe there for awhile' Rory thought, chanting it over and over in her head.

After another 15 minutes of driving, Rory turned into the driveway and pulled up to a fairly large house. Getting out, and going to Kaidynn's door, Rory slung one strap of the backpack over her shoulder, and grabbed Kaidynn in her other arm. She slowly walked up the steps and to the door, and knocked uncertainly a few times. With no response, she found the doorbell and rang it. After about 2 minutes, she turned to leave in despair. As she opened Kaidynn's door, she heard the front door of the house open.

"Rory?"


	10. Snuggles and Milk

"Rory?"

Rory stopped in her tracks as she heard her name, and turned with a look of relief on her face.

"Mrs. James! Hi! I'm sorry to bother you, but is Atticus home?"

Mrs. James took in Rory's disheveled appearance, and noted the little girl that was with her. She liked the girl, and hoped she wasn't in any kind of trouble.

"No dear, he's been gone the whole day. He is hanging out with a friend of his that came to visit."

Rory's whole countenance dropped, and she gave an audible sigh. "Ok, sorry for bothering you then…"

Mrs. James could see that something was obviously wrong, and felt the strong urge to help. "Is there anything I can do for you, dear? Would you like to come in and have some coffee and wait for him? I'm sure we could even scrounge up some chocolate milk for the little one."

Rory was touched by the older woman's kindness, and tears welled in her eyes as she gathered Kaidynn and the little backpack, and followed Atticus' mother inside. She was led to the kitchen, and sat herself on a barstool and the island, with Kaidynn on her lap. Mrs. James busied herself with getting coffee and chocolate milk, and finally sat down after several minutes of silence.

"So, Rory, what brings you here? I mean, other than just to see Atticus… You seem very upset…"

Rory started to deny that anything was wrong, when she was interrupted by the motherly woman sitting across from her. "I know its terribly rude to interrupt, but before you start to say 'nothing', I just want you to know that, even though I've only known you a short while, I think you're a sweet girl, and anything you tell me is confidential… Ok?"

Rory nodded, grateful to have a woman to talk to. Atticus was great and all, but he just didn't get it sometimes.

"First of all, this is Kaidynn… My daughter." Mrs. James eyebrows shot up, but she remained quiet. "She's 2, and my mom's been telling people that Kaidynn is hers, not mine. She had me really young, so she's still growing up… And she parties a lot. It's only been recently that I've acknowledged Kaidynn as mine, but I've always taken care of her. Lately my mom has gotten worse, and has been sometimes leaving for a week at a time, or bringing strange men home with her…"

Over the next hour, Rory spilled her story to this understanding woman, and both were crying by the time the tale was finished. Kaidynn had fallen asleep some time ago, and after putting her in Mr. and Mrs. James room, Mrs. James hugged Rory tightly, and offered to let Rory and Kaidynn stay at their house.

"I wouldn't want to intrude, really… I can try and find an apartment or something."

"Nonsense! You're just a child; there is no way you would be able to get an apartment. Besides, we've got plenty of room here! We can put you in the spare room next to Atticus, and get an old mattress out of the attic. It's a rather large house for just us, and I've always nagged my husband to find someone to rent out some of the extra. And now we have you!"

Rory smiled gratefully, and hugged the woman again.

Mrs. James noticed Rory's grumbling stomach, and guided the younger woman downstairs. She quickly began preparing some grilled cheese. By the time she was finished, Rory was asleep on the couch in the living room.

* * *

A few hours later, Atticus returned home, banging the door shut behind him. "Mom! I'm home!"

"Shh!! Be quiet, will you? You'll wake them up!" Mrs. James rushed into the room, startling her son, and confusing him.

"Wake who up?"

At his puzzled look, she steered Atticus into the living room so that he could see Rory sleeping in an awkward position on their couch.

"Rory and Kaidynn." She refrained from using the term "daughter", as she was not sure if her son knew about it or not.

Atticus looked alarmed, and pulled his mother back into the kitchen.

"Mom! What happened? Is she ok? Where's Kaidynn? Was it her mother? Are they hurt?"

Mrs. James just chuckled at how worried her boy was, and told him that he would have to ask Rory what happened, but assured him that they were ok.

"Atticus, why don't you get her a blanket? She looks cold. Her clothes were wet, but I didn't even think about it until now."

Atticus walked over to the sleeping girl, and noticed she was shivering in her sleep, with a look of pain on her face.

"I'm gonna bring her up to my room, and give her some clothes to wear." Without waiting for a response from his mother, he gently picked up his friend, and carried her to his room. As he set her on his bed, she woke up.

She looked around, confused for a minute, before seeing Atticus rummaging around in his drawers. "James?"

Atticus walked over to her with a pair of boxers and a sweatshirt. "Hey Lorelai, how are you feeling? Why don't you put these on, you're all wet."

Rory just continued to look at him, and nodded when he suggested she changed.

Neither of them moved for a minute, and they just stared at each other. Finally, Rory got the courage to ask him for help, because she was too sore to move.

Atticus blushed, but helped her pull off her wet shirts, and slipped the sweatshirt gently over her head. He turned his back to let her put on the boxers, and then helped her get under the covers.

"Where's Kaidynn? Is she ok?" Atticus looked truly concerned, and Rory's heart swelled at the tone of his voice.

"She's in your parents' room, she fell asleep awhile ago. She was exhausted… She hasn't been sleeping well." Rory's eyes had tears, and her voice was cracked with emotion as she thought about the hardships her daughter had faced. She felt an arm slip around her and pull her into a hug, and realized she had started crying.

"Hey,' she looked up at her friend when he spoke, "Why don't you try and get some more sleep? My bed will be more comfortable than that couch was."

Rory just nodded, and when Atticus got up to give her some privacy, she just held on to him, and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Atticus just sighed and slipped off his shoes before crawling into the bed with her. He held her in his arms, and after a short while, both were asleep. When Mr. James got home, Mrs. James filled him in on what had happened, and as they went to get a now awake Kaidynn, saw the two teens asleep together. They decided it was best to leave them alone, and entertained Kaidynn until the kids woke up.


	11. Popcorn Bubbles

**I know this took forever, and its really short! The next chapter will be MUCH longer, I swear! No promises on how long it will take though. But I love you all!**

* * *

Rory opened her eyes, and looked over to the digital clock on the nightstand

Rory opened her eyes, and looked over to the digital clock on the nightstand. It was 3:00AM and for some reason, she felt as if she couldn't move. For a second she started to panic, then realized the reason she couldn't move is because she was all snuggled up with Atticus. Shaking him so that he'd wake up, Atticus let out a groan of protest and blinked his eyes a few times. Seeing that he was sort of awake, Rory turned on the bed-side lamp, causing him to dive under the blankets.

"Come on James, wake up!" She heard a couple more groans from him, and she smiled.

"What time is it? God, it definitely does not feel like time to wake up!"

"That's because its not. Its 3:05, and I want to talk. Please?" Atticus just looked up at her, got out of bed and walked out the door. Rory was confused, but didn't feel like following, so she just waited for his return. He returned a few minutes later with 2 mugs of coffee and a plate of left-over's from the fridge.

"Thought you might be hungry."

Rory's face lit up as she took the coffee and food from him, and started eating before he had even sat down.

"Lor," Rory ignored him in favor of her food. "Lor…" No response. "Rory!" Finally she looked up.

"What?" Atticus saw she was fighting back tears already.

"Tell me what happened?"

Feigning innocence Rory looked back to her plate, and shrugged her shoulders, "What do you mean?"

Atticus took Rory's mug and took a sip, trying not to smile at her look of shock. "I mean with your mother… I'm assuming she's the reason you and Kai are here…" A shrug was all the reply he got. "I thought you wanted to talk?"

"Well, not about that. About what we're gonna say if people find out I'm here. I don't want Logan or any of the others to know I'm staying here. They'll want to know why…"

"Rory, I want to know why. But, just say your mom went out of town, and my mom didn't want you staying thee alone or something."

Rory looked unsure. "I guess that could work… But they'll ask why I didn't go to one of them instead."

Atticus rolled his eyes "Easy, because your mom doesn't know they're back in your life."

"Oh yeah! I forgot. That's perfect!" Rory brightened up and hugged her friend, managing not the spill her coffee. "Anyways, I kind of want a shower. I feel gross." She noticed Atticus giving her a strange look. "What?"

"Babe, its 3 in the morning… You really want to take a shower now?" Atticus looked amused.

"Oh. Right. Well… Can we put in a movie or something?" Rory was determined to avoid the subject of why she was there.

Atticus just chuckled and opened his movie cabinet. "Pick one. I'm gonna go make some more coffee, and grab some snacks."

Rory's face lit up, "You know me so well James!"

* * *

Two movies and 4 bags of popcorn later, Rory and Atticus lay on his bed with random pieces of popcorn surrounding them. The second movie had just finished, and they had been laying in silence for ten minutes. Both thought the other was asleep, until Atticus sighed and sat up.

"Rory... Can we talk now please?" He watched her eyes fill with tears "Lor…?"

Rory sat up and hugged herself, resting her chin on her knees.

"Fine… I'll tell you."

* * *

**Ok, next chap... How Rory got pregnant. Yay! Please don't shoot me if some of the ages/dates accidentally get a little messed up, I'm horrible with that sort of stuff. Let me know what you think!**


	12. Pillow Mints

**I know, I know, I've been gone FOREVER. I finally got the urge to write again. It's short, but it's something. **

* * *

*Flashback*

"Logan…?" He looked up at me, worry in his eyes.

"What's going on? Have you been crying?" He stopped when I put a finger to his lips.

"I… I'mgonnahaveababy!" The only way I could get it out was to mumble really, really fast.

"What did you just say?" Logan looked shocked. The poor boy looked as if a dump truck ran him over. I couldn't bear to see that look on his face, knowing I had put it there. I began to tremble, my vision becoming blurry with tears. "I—we're going to have a baby." I said it more forcefully this time, hoping he would finally _do_ something. I soon regretted this wish.

"Can't you get rid of it?" At my look of horror, he quickly attempted to justify his words. "We're too young for this! What will everyone think? Ror… What will our friends think?"

Shaking my head, I hunched over, as if to protect my unborn baby.

"Is that all you care about? Our friends? What about how I feel! What if my mom had 'gotten rid' of me?" I hit him with my book bag, knocking him out of the way. Stopping at the door briefly, I left him with a parting remark. "Don't worry Logan; you'll never have to see me again. They'll never have t know."

*End flashback*

"And that's the last time I saw him, though he called many times. And of course my grandparents found out, and his parents. There was hell from both families, and eventually my mother and grandparents came up with a plan. Kaidynn would be hers if Logan would not be involved. I eventually broke down and told our closest friends about what was going on, but I hadn't spoken to any of them since I was 8 months along." James looked at me in amusement. "What?" I asked, exasperated. What was so funny?

"You really hit him with your book bag? I mean, really? Immature much?" He started laughing, and I couldn't help but giggle a little bit too.

"Well I was young and emotional. Not to mention pregnant." I tried to rationalize my impulsive behavior, before I realized I was being teased.

"I'm just saying… That must have left a bruise! Your books are _heavy_!" We both started laughing, and eventually faded off into a comfortable silence.

After a long pause, Atticus raised himself up on one elbow. "Do you wish Logan had been involved?"

I didn't really know what to say to that. I had no solid answer. "At times, yes… When my mother is in one of her moods, or has been drinking. But at other times, I'm happy that Logan never had the chance to hurt Kaidynn by being in and out of her life. He seems more mature now, though I still worry about it sometimes." He seemed to understand what I meant, and we drifted back into silence. Before I knew it, I was having the most pleasant dream I'd had in quite awhile…


End file.
